Case study · Personal project
Zociall: a Mac app that lives in the notch, built with no coding background
I wanted battery alerts, a focus timer and a quick way to text my phone, all in one place. I had never used Xcode, so I built it with AI, one feature at a time.
The idea
I liked notch apps like NotchOwl but wanted my own mix of features, designed my way. With no coding experience, I used AI to write the code, pasted it into Xcode and tested each step on my Mac.
What it does
Drops down from the notch
Opens from the MacBook notch on hover or click, with small status chips beside it when closed.
Battery that talks to you
Big centred alerts for low and full battery, an estimate of time left or time to full, and a Keep Awake switch.
Pomodoro with streaks
Focus timer shown in the menu bar or as a floating, resizable clock, plus a daily streak and sessions-per-day chart.
Speed test
A quick internet speed check without opening a browser.
TextHub
Notes, a clipboard history and a Telegram bot to send texts to my phone and set big pop-up reminders.
How I built it
Every change started as a mock-up I reviewed, then became code I tested. When something crashed, I described the problem and fixed it in the next round. The app now has its own owl icon and installs like any other Mac app. Next on the list: making the notch panel work on an external display.
Measurement note: Zociall is a personal app and not publicly released.
Need this for your brand?
I'm open to content and social media roles, in sport and beyond. Let's talk about what you're building.
sripad@falsewinger.com